Recording thread brush



Dec. 23, 1941.

C. J. LE BEL RECORDING THREAD BRUSH Filed April 16, 1940 .36 INVENTOR CLARENCE J. LEBEL FIG. 5

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 v RECORDING THREAD BRUSH Clarence J. Le Bel, New York, N. Y., assignor to Audio Devices, Inc., New

ration of New York York, N. Y., a corpo- Application April 16, 1940, Serial No. 329,878

2 Claims. (Cl. 274-47) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the art of sound recording-and has particular relation to a means for preventing the thread formed during the cutting of a record from becoming entangled with the recording stylus.

An object of the invention is to provide arecording thread brush of simple and inexpensive construction, which is easily positioned for use and which is dependable in performance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such Variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the brush of the invention in relation to a record, but a portion, of the latter being shown;

Fig. 2 is a similar View but showing a somewhat diiferent relation of the parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken as along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing'thebrush the invention in association with a record blank during recording on the latter; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modification. s

Heretofore efforts have been made in the direction of providing some means for removing from a record, as the latter is being recorded, the thread cut by the recording stylus. These efforts have taken various forms and with the suction mechanism which has been used the desired results have been accomplished. However, such mechanism is costly to purchase and to maintain and is not in general use particularly in small studios. I

When a record is being cut the tendency of the cut or removed thread is to move toward the center pin about which the record is disposed. In the recording of a record from its center toward its outer edge the thread causes no difiiculty but when the recording is being made from the outer edge of the record toward the center thereof, as is most usually the case, the thread, unless it is carefully removed, becomes entangled with the recording stylus and damages the recording. A skillful operator can remove the thread as it accumulates although when the operator is so engaged his attentionis diverted from his main business. Efforts to provide a simple brush means for accomplishing the desired purpose have, up until the present time, proved unsuccessful.

With the means of theinventi'on the thread removed from the record body or lacquer coated disc on which the recording is being engraved. is engaged with a brush means. After a slight accumulation the thread begins to pass under such means and moves in the direction of-the center pin of the record and becomes wrapped thereabout in an out-of-the-way position. Thereafter, when the recording operation has been completed the thread may be safely and conveniently removed from about the pin. The brushmeans of the invention is simple and requires no special skill for its use and its position during the recording operation is not particularly critical.

Referring in detail to the drawing the brush means of the invention is shown as including a suitable base In provided on its underside with a felt or other pad II. This base is preferably of cast iron or other metal whereby to have con siderable weight for supporting in balanced relation the other portions or parts of the brush during use. A vertically disposed post I2 is partly received in a suitable socket in thebase and may be adjusted vertically on the base and secured in adjusted position as by means of'a set screw l3 provided for that purpose.

A pivot l4 attaches the rear end of the arm 15 to the upper end of the post I2 and any or a similar pivot means I6 attaches a lug I! to the Rigidly secured to the lower or free end of the lug I1 is a channel bar l8 open atits loweror outer side and closed at its top side. A screw or other means l9 passing through the top wall 20 of the bar l8 secures the latter to the free end of the lug I1. Partly received within the channel bar [8 is a strip 2| of felt or similar material. For example, the strip 2| may be of carpet or the like. When felt is used it may be of any grade although to avoid covering the record with fibres I prefer to use a hard felt suchas S. A. E.-grades F30, F1 or F10. However, this is not controlling as other grades of felt and in fact other materials may be used for my purpose.

The felt or the like may be cemented or otherwise secured with its upper edge portion in the channel of the bar I8 and in such edge portion may be notched or cut away as at 22 for the reception of the head of the screw I9. As shown the felt strip is comparatively thick and the thickness is "so related 'to the depth of the portion projecting below the lower edge of the bar I8 that such projecting portion is rather stiif although somewhat yielding.

In the use of the brush the base f is supported beyond the edge of the disc record body 23 which is to have sound recorded thereon. The arm 1.

projects over said disc and the radial relation of the arm and the bar l8 to the center post-or pin 24 is not critical. Thus the arm 15 and the parts carried thereby may be located without difficulty since they may be .positioned at any place as between the dotted line showings in Fig. 4.

Additionally the vertical relation of the bar 12 tome disc 23is not critical. 'the'dpper end of such bar or post may within a wide range be in a rather indefinite location above the upper surface the 'disc. In Figs. 1 and '2 the result joftwo dinerent locations is indicated 'an'd'in such figures, [it will be noted that owing to the emplo'yrneht of the articulated structure "shown the bar 'I 8 with'the felt "strip 2| will lie hat across the disc 23 (in the manner desired) without any particular efiorr't being made to adjust the post [2 -with relation to the upper surface of the disc. 'Thus the base HI may be resting onany support :at the side'of the disc and such support need-not be in any particular vertical relation "to the 'upper su'rface'of the disc. Yet vertical adjustment of -the post l2 will not be required.

During recording on a disc the'de'vice of the in- "vention being located as in Fig. "4 wherein the recorder is designated the 'recorddisc is being rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 26. 21 indicates the thread cutby "the recording stylus. If left to itself this thread tends to gather into'a clump and may become entangled with the recording stylus "spoiling the recording. With the present brush the thread gathers against the forward side-of the felt' fl l until 'a small amount of thread has accumulated-and then it begins to 'feed under 'theielt in the 'form of a single thread. 7 v

'Thus in Fig. 4 the portion 'of the thread from "the recorder is indicated at 2"! audit has to "some limited extent accumulated at 28 against the forward side of the felt2 l and at '29 is shown leaving the rear side of the 'felt. As the thread leaves the brush at '29 it moves sharply 'inwardlytcward the center pin 24 and gathers about the latter "where it is out of the way and may be "removed after the recording operation is completed.

Attention is directed to the fact that the'l-ug is secured to the bar I 8 toward the outenend thereof or toward that end which is nearer the -"cent'eripin 24 during the making of a record. It is 'preferred that the location :of this lug Joe-from one-third toone-quarter of thelengthbfthe bar from the merl-tioned endthereof. FI h-i's particular location is preferred for aesthetic -reasons and 'may be varied. 'However, when the location of the lug is as described-or atlea'stis't'oward' the fnen ti'oned end from the middle 6f the bar-certain desirable results follow.- The-device in {such casexmay 'be used 'during the recording on discs Eli out tilting upwardly off or from the record surface.

It is noted that according to the invention the strip of felt or similar material is rigidly held in the bar l8 and is pressed against the record surface by the weight of said bar and by additional weight if desired. In this connection it will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that the full weight of the bar I8 is disposed on the felt when the latter is in engagement with the record irrespective of some differences in the height of the support on which the base I0 is resting as compared with the upper surface of the record blank.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown Fig. 5 it is noted that a somewhat simpler construction is there shown. In said figure aportion of a record disc is designated and associated with it is a brush means generally designated 36 and including a base 31 in which is vertically adjustable a post 38, a screw 39 or the like being provided for securing the post in the desired position of vertical adjustment.

-A pivot secures the inner end of an arm M to the upper end of the post 38. Arm M is of channel formation and partly receives a felt strip 32 of the construction of the strip 2"! above described. The construction of Fig. 5 omits the pivot 16, lug 1 1 and "channel bar 29 of the Figs. 1 through '4 and is therefore more inexpensive to make. However, with the modified construction it is necessary to adjust the post 38 so as -to align the fe'lt 4'2 with thesurfaceof the record -35 in-each instance. Such adjustments are not "necessary with the construction first described although aside from the matter of the adjust- -ments the devices function in the same manner.

Having thus set 'forth the nature of my -invention, what 'I claim is:

1. In a recording thread brush, a vertical post, a weighted base supporting said post, 'means securing the post against turning movement relative to said base, an elongated rigid arm, a horizontal me'a'ns pivo'tally securing -'one end of the arm to the upper end of the post, an elongated rigid bar having a channel opening through its lower side, a strip of felt partly received in said channel and extending below the edges of the bar, a lug, a horizontal-means fixed at the other end of the arm and pivotally connecting :the lug with the other end of said arm, said 'bar located at the under side of and in vertical zalignment with said arm, said lug rigidly connected .at its lower end with said 'b'ar, both :said 'pivot means free w hereby rsaid bar and felt are self aligning to maintain the lower edge of the felt aflat on successive horizontal record surfaces :on which the felt may be disposed even though such surf'ace'si'are in different hori-zontalzplanes, and said lug located with respect to said :bar at T9. point on the latter approximately two-thirds :to threefourths "of the way. toward the end of the bar remote from said post whereby the-b'ar will'not rock about the edge-of a small'diameter .record inamanner to lift the end-of the bar and felt -remote from the most away "from such record.

' 2. In a recordingthread-brush, avertical post, a weighted base supportingsaid post, means socuring thepost against turning movement -relativeto the base, a rigid channelshaped elongated arm receiving the :upper end of said post between the .side walls .of itsf'inne'r'end portion, :a horizontal means passing throu'ghsaid walls and pivotally securingithe inner end :of the arm to the' upper 'en'd of lthe post, Jan elongated rigid bar 6f "sman s Well as those 'of -largediameter With- 7.5 havingach'anrrel'npenin'g through 'its lower side,

a strip of yielding material partly received in said channel and extending below said bar, a lug having its upper end located between the side walls of the outer end portion of said arm, a fixed horizontal means passing through said walls and pivotally securing the upper end of the lug to the outer end portion of the arm, said bar located at the under side of and in vertical alignment with said arm, means passing through the top wall of said bar and into the lower end of said lug and rigidly connecting the lug and bar with th lower end of the lug against the top side of the bar, both said pivot means free whereby said bar and yielding material are 

